


Tattered Heartstrings

by JET_Playin



Series: Dragon Heartstrings [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, HP: EWE, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Soulmates, dragon heartstrings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 13:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12482728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JET_Playin/pseuds/JET_Playin
Summary: Harry never thought this day would come. But Draco seemed to...





	Tattered Heartstrings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LiBoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiBoo/gifts).



> Thank you, bloodyflammable, for all of your help! You're the best ❤️
> 
> And thank you, LiBoo, for making me consider the possibilities in the world I created. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the inspiration :) So, to make sure we're all on the same page, this is all your fault :p thank you!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Harry Potter or its characters and locations.

Harry's heart caught in his throat as he watched his husband approach the waiting area, where he and Scorpius sat. He wore the calm mask of a healer bearing bad news, his hands steady at his side, and Harry knew that could only mean one thing. 

Aramis Thatcher was dead. 

Beside Harry, Scorpius flinched, squeezed his hand tighter, and released a heart wrenching sob. The sound spurred Harry into action, and he dropped to the floor to wrap his son tightly in his arms, just as Draco reached them. 

“I'm so sorry, Scorp,” Draco began, voice low, controlled, but Harry knew the signs. There was a slight tremor in his breathing and his hands were almost too steady when they fell, one to Scorpius's shoulder, the other to Harry's. “There was nothing we could do. The curse acted too quickly.”

Launching himself from his seat, Scorpius threw his arms around Draco, sobbing into his shoulder and clinging to his robes, much the way he did as a child. 

“Papa!” Scorpius wailed.

“I know,” Draco soothed. “It's okay, it's going to be okay.”

Unsure of what to do, Harry stood and watched. Scorpius' best friend, his soul mate, according to Draco, was gone.

The life of an Auror was always risky, but he… he had done everything right. He followed every protocol. He was a good auror, a good man. And he was gone, thanks to one fucking Neo Death Eater. But, worse, it had been Harry's job to keep him safe. As Head Auror, it was Harry’s job to keep all of his men and women safe. As a father, it was his job to protect his children and everyone they cared for.

And Draco knew. He knew, ever since the first day Scorpius invited the boy over, that they were linked, tied together by the Red String of Destiny. For years, Draco had fretted and worried, hoping their beautiful boy would have everything they, themselves, had because of the strings. 

As the years went on, the worry grew because, as obviously as Scorpius loved his friend, there didn’t seem to be any romantic progress. Harry grew more anxious, of course, but Draco topped that. He flinched whenever Harry or Scorpius spoke of Aramis, avoided him when he visited, even subtly urged their son to move on and look for other options. It wasn’t unfair advice, considering Aramis had married a nice young Ravenclaw, just out of Hogwarts, but Harry couldn’t understand.

Did it matter? If he and Scorpius were soul mates, then the marriage was doomed to fail, right? So why did he distance himself?

Draco told all of their children the story of every string he could remember seeing, even wove a few tales for the people he didn't know. They knew they had soul mates. He even told each of them where their own string was tied. James’ was on his ankle; they often joked that he tripped over it, because the boy couldn't seem to stand in one place without falling over. Little Lily had a bright red bow on her pinky, something she often tried to show off to her friends, when she was still young enough that they'd believe her. And Scorpius wore a slim, red bracelet around his wrist. 

If he squinted, Harry could see the tattered length, now, and knew Draco was right. Aramis had been Scorpius' soul mate, and was no more. 

“Papa,” he was saying, now. He seemed to have calmed down, a little, though his shoulders still shook. But he clung to Draco, allowing himself to be consoled. “Papa, I loved him.”

“I know you did, Scorp. I know.”

“I don’t understand! He was my—”

Straightening, Draco clasped Scorpius’ shoulders, and held him at arm’s length, searching his face. “Yes, son, he was. But you know, better than most, that the stings don’t always mean—” But Draco paused when the tears began to well up in the boy's eyes, again. “Son, I—” 

“I— I’m sorry, I can’t—” Scorpius choked on a gasp, and nearly collapsed under his own weight. Rushing forward when Draco caught him, Harry helped lower him to a chair. 

“Scorpius—” Harry sat down on the other side of Scorpius, sliding one arm around his shoulders and squeezing tightly. 

“This won't be easy, Scorp.” Harry met Draco's eyes over the pale head, nodded, then returned his attention to Scorpius. “We know how important he was, we've always known.”

“Of course, it won't be easy. But, Scorpius, you will come through this and you will still be happy, someday.”

Scorpius nodded, looking all of fourteen, again. “Like Luna and Greg,” he intoned. “But, Papa, what if it  _ doesn't  _ happen that way, what if I—” 

“None of that, now,” Harry interrupted, looking to Draco for some kind of direction. “You have the power to choose that. And we're here, we'll always be here to help you through this.”

“Did— did you know this would happen?” he asked, lifting watery grey eyes to meet Draco's. “Did you know that I'd lose him?”

“Of course not, Scorp. That isn't how this works, right Draco?” Harry asked, but Draco froze, his head bent. His hands shook, almost imperceptibly, with the effort of keeping his shoulders steady.

Scorpius nodded, standing and sucking in a deep breath to compose himself. “I'm sorry, I have to go. I should… I don’t know. I need to tell his family, Kathy. An— and our boss and—”

“It’s okay, Scorpius. The Thatchers are on their way here. It’s my job to tell them.”

“And I’ll let the DMLE know,” Harry added.

“I— Okay. Thank you, Papa, Dad. I still… I need to be alone, I think.”

With one last hug for each of them, he made his way slowly from the ward, weaving slightly. When he had disappeared through the doors at the end of the corridor, Harry turned to Draco. 

“Draco, what do you—?” 

“I— I had my suspicions, okay?”

“Sunshine? What are you talking about?”

Burying his hands in his hair, Draco began to pace the length of the waiting area. “Be— because of Luna and Greg. And Severus. And… I've seen strings tied to the wrist since then. Sometimes, when the person is very young, no more than thirty, the strings are intact but… Mostly, they're torn and—”

“You knew he was going to die?” 

“No. No, Harry, I didn't know  _ he _ was going to die. For a long time, I—” His breath hitched and he ducked his head, further. 

“You thought  _ Scorpius  _ was going to… Draco, why didn't you—?”

“What could I say, Harry? ‘Hi, honey, how was your day? Oh, and I think our son is going to die. What’s for dinner?’” He stilled, turning to glare a Harry. “I know I should have said something, done something, but I didn't really  _ know. _ All I could do was hope and— and that was worse because I felt like I was wishing another child dead and—  oh, fuck! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Harry.”

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, rubbing a hand gently down his back. “Shh, it’s okay, baby. Any father would have felt the same.”

“No, Harry, it isn’t okay. How can this be okay?” He gestured wildly toward the end of the corridor.

“You did everything you could.”

“Harry, I— I wanted it to be him. Even in that room, even when it was my job to save him, I wanted it to be him so that I knew it wouldn’t be Scorpius!”

For one, breathless moment, Harry didn’t know what to say. Clearing his throat, he held Draco tighter. “It was my job to protect him, too. Are you try to tell me you  _ didn’t _ do everything you could?”

“What? Of course I did! But I  _ wanted— _ ”

“No, Draco.” Pulling away, slightly, Harry looked into those eyes, the swirling grey that dragged him in, long before he even knew what love could be. “What you wanted isn’t the issue here. Every parent wants to protect their child. Every last one. And wanting that doesn’t hurt anything. You still did what was necessary to save that boy.”

“But, Harry—”

“No, no buts. Now.” Suddenly unsure he wanted to know, Harry worried his lip, for a moment, before continuing. “Tell me. The other children. Are they—?”

“Oh!” The self doubt cleared almost instantly, to be replaced by concern. “Oh, no, Harry. They’re fine. It’s the wrist. The strings on the wrist. Like all the others.”

“And there’s never been a torn string on anyone’s pinky or ankle?”

Draco shook his head, fervently. “No. Not that I’ve ever seen.”

“Okay.” He dropped his head to Draco’s shoulder, a shuddering sigh escaping him. “Okay, good.”

“Harry… Should I tell Scorpius?”

Harry thought for a moment. He doubted it would change anything. It was done. It was over. But, Draco obviously needed to clear it from his mind. “Have you told Hermione?” he asked. “It could help with the research she's doing for the book…”

“No.” Draco shook his head. “I couldn’t tell Granger something I never even told you, could I?” There was a hint of teasing in his voice, and Harry relaxed a fraction, at the sound.

“No, I don’t suppose you could,” he chuckled. “I think you should.”

“But, not Scorpius?”

“No, I don’t think he needs to know.”

“And…”

“And?” 

“You… you don’t think I’m a monster?” Draco asked, his eyes shuttered. 

The sheer misery in his voice startled a laugh from Harry, and he bent to nuzzle the top corner of Draco's ear. 

“No, Draco. I don’t think you’re a monster. I think you’re a father, and a damn good one, in my opinion.” Draco laughed, a watery sound, but laughter, all the same. Relief flooded him; there was little in this world more terrifying than a weepy Draco Malfoy. “I love you, sunshine.”

“I love you, too, Harry.”

“Good. Now, you’re taking the rest of the day off—”

“My shift ended two hours ago…”

“— and we’re going to go round up our children and have dinner together with Ron and Hermione.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos give me life and comments validate my existence ❤️ Also, come visit me on Tumblr @jet_playin. Thanks for reading!


End file.
